Lead and cadmium absorption among children near a nonferrous metal plant. A follow-up study of a test case

Journal Article · Sat Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Environ. Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6879771

Roels, H A ^[1]; Buchet, J P; Lauwerys, R; Bruaux, P; Claeys-Thoreau, F; Lafontaine, A; van Overschelde, J; Verduyn, G

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1. Univ., Louvain, Belgium

Increased Pb absorption and impaired heme biosynthesis was found among children in schools less than 1 km (group A) and 2.5 km (group B) from a Pb smelter. After reducing Pb emission, a second survey was carried out on children comparable with those of the first survey. Continuous monitoring revealed for the smelter area a considerable decrease in airborne Pb. Median values dropped from 3.2 to 1.2 ..mu..g Pb/m/sup 3/ at less than 1 km and from 1.6 to 0.5-0.8 ..mu..g Pb/m/sup 3/ at 1.5 km from the plant; in the rural area it remained at 0.3 ..mu..g Pb/m/sup 3/. To evaluate the improvements we assessed Pb and Cd exposure by measuring Pb in blood (PbB) and urine (PbU), erythrocyte delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, free erythrocyte porphyrin (FEP) concentration, delta-aminolevulinic acid excretion in urine (ALAU), and Cd concentration in blood (CdB) and urine (CdU). Groups A and B had higher PbB and CdU levels, and lower ALAD activity than the rural group; PbU, CdB, FEP, and ALAD were significantly increased only in group A. Compared with the results of the first survey, a significant tendency to a normalization of PbB was found at 2.5 km, but at less than 1 km the biological parameters did not improve. The PbB percentile distribution in group B lies under the tentative PbB percentile distribution proposed in the PbB Directive of the Commission of the European Communities; that of group A is still above that of the CEC proposal. Because of the higher vulnerability as compared to adults, a more restrictive PbB percentile distribution has been proposed for children. Ingestion of dust and dirt from their surroundings may represent, in addition to air, a supplementary cause of increased Pb accumulation in these children. Alternatively, a continuous resuspension of dust and dirt particles from contaminated soil may maintain a high Pb concentration at the breathing height of children.

• OSTI ID: 6879771
• Journal Information: Environ. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Res.; (United States) Vol. 15:2; ISSN ENVRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500 -- Metabolism
550600 -- Medicine
552000 -- Public Health
560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ABSORPTION
AIR POLLUTION
AMINO ACIDS
AMINOLEVULINIC ACID
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
CADMIUM
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHILDREN
CONTAMINATION
ELEMENTS
ENZYMES
ERYTHROCYTES
HEME
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INGESTION
INTAKE
LEAD
MAMMALS
MAN
METALS
MONITORING
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE RESUSPENSION
PARTICLES
PIGMENTS
POLLUTION
PORPHYRINS
PRIMATES
SMELTING
SYNTHESIS
UPTAKE
URINE
VERTEBRATES
WASTES